Spirit of Elijah

G. Thomas Sharp • March 20, 2020

The prophet Elijah is mentioned over 50 times in Scripture. Have you ever wondered why? Moreover, the prophet Malachi records the Lord’s prophecy, “Behold, I will send Elijah the prophet before the great and terrible day of the LORD” (Malachi 4:5).

I presently do not believe there is any Scriptural support that would justify the idea that Elijah is going to return to the earth bodily before the second coming of Jesus Christ (unless it may be at the time of the second coming?).

So, this must be referring to the coming of the Spirit of Elijah. Because it does, we must take a serious look at Matthew 11:7-14, John 1:21 and Luke 1:17 (the reader should read carefully the first two of these references, but for this article Luke 1:17 will suffice):

And he shall go before him in the spirit and power of Elias, to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just; to make ready a people prepared for the Lord.

It seems to me that when the Scripture talks about the Spirit of Elijah, it must be referring to the work of the Holy Spirit in Elijah fashion or style. Plainly, the work of the Holy Spirit with Elijah characteristics or fashion. Thus, the Scripture seems to be affirming that in the day of the Lord there will be an Elijah outpouring of the Holy Spirit, and this spiritual inundation will be reminiscent of Acts 2. Therefore, it seems the last-days figure of the church is reflected in Elijah’s life and ministry.

In the first place we must note the meaning of the name Elijah: Eli (“my God”) and Jah (“is Jehovah”) means My God is Jehovah!! To be effective in days like this, we must personally, intently know our God and we must speak to Him on a regular basis! This quality is demonstrated in Elijah even though in one episode of his life he was afraid of Jezebel.

But in the cave of his hiding (1 Kings 19), God spoke to him inquisitively (of course, He knew the answer): “Why are you here, Elijah?” So, I ask the readers, “Why are you here?” Do you know for certain why you have life? It is so easy to get lost in a crowd of friends! It is so easy to get lost in church activity! We say we are doing the work of the Lord…are we really?

God bless all the readers of this article.

July-August 2025 Printed Newsletter

By Bob Dugas • August 6, 2025
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Summer 2025

By Matt Miles • August 6, 2025
Summer of 2025 is two-thirds finished. We have taught at 7 different camp weeks along with 6 VBSes. Ryan and I have had a busy summer for the Kingdom. Our travels have stretched from Ohio to Colorado and all points in between. We have taught in churches and connected with many supporters and friends. This summer, as usual, ministry has taken us away from family for periods, but there has been great returns for the sacrifice - more than fifteen souls have been added to God’s eternal Kingdom and even more seeds planted with life-changing fruit produced, from the young to old. Again and again we encounter students that are fired up with a passion for knowledge of the Word of God. As these students have found answers to questions or faith-challenging issues, they are better equipped to share their faith. This summer we have had the opportunity to reconnect with many students whom we taught at a younger age. Now they are in their teens or heading to college. Their testimonies of strengthened faith because of the mission God has called us to is more than rewarding. It never gets old to meet grandparents, or even great-grandparents, during VBS that have lived their lives as followers of Christ yet have never seen the impact of Genesis to the Gospel. Just yesterday this happened with a grandmother who was overjoyed and appreciative of our teaching and message. Knowing more about dinosaurs Biblically allows for them to have new lines of communication with their cherished grandkids. Our ability to give these great warriors of the faith answers that can impact their families for eternity is priceless to us.  Please continue to lift us up in prayer as our summer is not over yet. As always, know that your support is making an impact for the Kingdom that we are eternally grateful for. If you are thinking about having us come next summer, don’t hesitate to contact us as summers fill quicker than the rest of the year. Summer has and will continue to be a crazy busy time for Kingdom work. Blessings.
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